Ring and cover construction for underground vaults



Aug. 2, 1966 J. P. DORRIS 3,263,579

RING AND COVER CONSTRUCTION FOR UNDERGROUND VAULTS Filed Jan. 2, 1963 0 m m m N f T M ,H. w 0 T .43, M if A .6 1 P a u D o M J v. .1 B a o f M ,0 o DMM, L u.. ud,v. o 0 a k m a 6 a 5 M .M I 6 M United States Patent 3,263,579 RING AND COVER CQNSTRUCTION FOR UNDERGROUND VAULTS John P. Dorris, 5301 River Ave., Newport Beach, Calif. Filed Jan. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 249,084 13 Claims. (Cl. 94-34) This invention relates generally to utility vaults of the type that areburied under roadways, and more particularly to a new and novel ring and cover arrangement for the access openings in such vaults.

It is common practice to provide vaults under roadways to receive certain equipment necessary for proper operation of gas, telephone, electric power and other public utilities. Such utility vaults are commonly provided with access openings that open into the roadway and which for reasons of safety must be covered except when actually in use. In order to provide the smoothest possible road surface, it is desirable that the top surfaces of such vault covers be flush with the surrounding paving material, a

condition which in the past has created serious installation problems, particularly with cambered roads, and costly modification in resurfacing projects.

Utility vaults are normally installed in the roadway before the final paving is done and, hence, the exact level and camber of the road surface must usually be estimated. Thus, when installing a vault, it has been the practice to position it so that the access opening cover thereof will lie at the estimated level and camber of the finished paving. Because the true final grade often varies slightly from even the best estimate, vault covers have commonly created either depressions or bumps in the road, both of which are undesirable. A need has thus existed for a vault construction that can be installed in a roadway before paving, but which has a cover construction such that it may be readily adjusted to be flush with the final paved surface.

Another problem with vault covers occurs when an old road must be resurfaced. After the new paving material has been laid there are usually substantial depressions in the road at each vault opening, which, if deep enough, would necessitate digging out and raising of the cover-support means. A vault cover arrangement which can be readily readjusted as to height is, therefore, desirable, and would solve this problem.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a cover arrangement for utility vault access openings constructed so that the top surface of the cover can be made flush with the surface of a new roadway or a resurfaced roadway under which the vault is installed.

Another object is to provide a utility vault access opening cover arrangement that can be readily installed on an existing vault and adjusted to lie flush with a newly resurfaced or repaved roadway under which the vault is disposed.

It is also an object to provide a utility vault access opening cover arrangement designed so that the plane of the cover can be readily adjusted to coincide with the slope or camber of a roadway surface under which the vault lies.

A further object is to provide a cover arrangement for utility vault access openings that will prevent the entrance into the vault of surface water and other foreign matter.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide a utility vault access opening cover arrangement that may be easily installed and which is economical to manufacture.

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Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a vault, coversupporting ring and cover, embodying the principles of the present invention, installed in a roadway;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the upper portion of a utility vault with the support ring and cover mounted thereon;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view, showing the manner in which the cover supporting ring is secured by stud bolts to anchor inserts in the cone portion of the underground vault;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, and shows how the cover-support ring may be agularly adjusted to make the top surface of the cover substantially flush with the cambered surface of a roadway; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing how the cover-support ring may be adjusted to an elevated position to compensate for resurfacing on a roadway.

Referring now to the drawings, a vault buried underground in indicated generally at 2 in FIG. 2, and consists of a plurality of cylindrical body sections 4, and a frusto-conical upper or neck section 6, said sections being made of concrete or the like, and having interlocked tongues 7 and grooves 7a on their mating surfaces. Grout 8 is disposed between the assembled sections to bond them together. The vault thus formed is hollow, access to the interior thereof being had through a circular opening 10 in the neck 6.

A top surface 12 on the neck section 6 is flat, and has a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, internally threaded anchor inserts 14 cast flush therein about the periphery of opening 14). The inserts 14 have ribs 16 thereon to prevent their rotating, and have end flanges 17 to prevent axial movement, relative to said section. As is best seen in FIG. 3, a stud bolt 18 is threaded into each insert 14. Each has a slot 20 at its upper end to receive a screw driver blade to facilitate installation.

An annular cover-support ring 22, having a plurality of circumferentially-sipaced, countersunk bores 24 in a horizontal flange 25 thereof, positioned to register with the stud bolts 18, is mounted upon said bolts. Each bolt has a pair of nuts, 26 and 28, threaded thereon for securing the ring in position above the surface 12. The nuts 28 are freely received within the countersunk portions of the bores 24, said bores being substantially larger in diameter than the studs 18, whereby the ring 22 may be arranged at various angles to said bolts without damaging the threads thereon. Flat washers 30 and 32 are interposed between the nuts 26 and 28 and the opposite surfaces of the horizontal flange 25 of the ring 22. The ring 22 is L-shaped in radial cross-section and includes an integral peripheral rim 34 projecting vertically upwardly from the flange 25 a distance equal to at least the thickness of the cover plate 40 to be utilized therewith.

The manner in which the cover-support ring 22 is installed is indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The vault 2 is first buried and the final level of the proposed paving, indicated at 36, is determined. The stud bolts 18 are installed in the inserts 14 and the lower nuts 26 are threaded thereon. Washers 30 are then placed on the studs 28 to rest on the nuts 36, and the ring 22 is mounted thereon. The ring 22 and the top surface of its rim 34 are adjusted so that said surface will lie flush with the grade of paving 36, by manipulating the lower nuts 26. Washers 32 are then placed on the studs 28 to rest on the ring 22 and the upper nuts 28 are installed. The excess length of studs 18 above the top face of said ring 22 is removed. The stud portions between the ring and the vault are preferably coated with a lubricant or wrapped with paper or a similar material before installing any grout, whereby removal of the studs at a later date will be made easier. The space between the bottom of the ring 22 and the top 12 of neck section 6 is then filled with grout 38. After the grout 38 has hardened, the paving 36 is installed.

If the paving surface under which the vault is installed is to have a camber, the ring 22 may be readily preadjusted to conform thereto. Such a situation is depicted in FIG. 4, wherein a paving surface 36 has a downward slope from left to right. In this instance, the nuts 26 and 28 are so adjusted that the top surface of rim 34 lies in the same inclined plane as the proposed paving surface, the enlarged diameter bores 24 readily permitting canting of the ring 22. When the proper position for the ring 22 is obtained, grout 38 is installed between it and the neck section 6, the exposed stud portions being protected as previously described.

After the ring 22 has been installed, the cover plate 40 is placed thereon, and is secured in position by a plurality of circumferentially spaced cap screws 42, which pass through countersunk holes in said plate and are received within threaded bores in the ring. An annular sealing ring 44 of suitable material is disposed within opposing grooves 44a and 44b in the mating surfaces of the cover and ring, and serves to prevent the entry of surface water and other matter into the vault.

If a road under which a vault lies should be repaved or resurfaced, it may be necessary to raise the cover a substantial height to meet the new road level. Referring to FIG. 5, a roadway 46 is shown with a layer of paving material 48 thereon. When such an additional layer is to be placed upon an existing roadway, the cover 40 is first taken off, after which the grout originally installed between the ring 22 and the top 12 of the vault is removed. The nuts 28 are then loosened and the ring 22 is removed, after which the original stud bolts 18 are taken out. New stud bolts 18, which will provide the necessary increase in height, are then inserted, and the cover arrangement is reinstalled in the same manner as originally, with the top of the rim 34 in the plane to be occupied by the surface 48 of the new paving.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a vault access opening and cover arrangement has been provided which is economical to manufacture and relatively easy to install. The cover 40 of the assembly may be readily made coextensive with the road surface under which the vault is installed, and may be easily adjusted to meet the level of any additional paving layers added to the original surface at a later date. While the present cover arrangement has been described with relation to a particular vault construction, it is to be understood that it is not limited to use therewith but may be employed with other structures.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. An underground vault having an access opening therein; a cover-support ring aligned with said opening; and means attached directly to said vault at circumfcrentially spaced points around said opening rigidly supporting said ring in spaced relationship therewith, said supporting means including: a plurality of vertically extending circumferentially spaced support posts fixedly anchored at their lower ends to said vault against movement in any direction; and vertically adjustable securing means carried on each of said support posts engageable with said ring for rigidly securing said ring to said posts,

4 said ring and said supporting means being constructed and arranged to enable positioning of said ring at various distances from and at various angles to said vault.

2. An underground vault as recited in claim 1, including filling material disposed between said ring and said vault.

3. An underground vault as recited in claim 1, including a cover; and means detachably securing said cover to said ring.

4. An underground vault having an access opening therein, means for closing said opening, including: a plurality of vertically extending support posts fixedly anchored at their lower ends to said vault against movement in any direction, said posts being circumferentially spaced around said opening; a cover-support ring, said ring having a plurality of bores therethrough in register with and larger in diameter than said support posts and receiving said posts therethrough, said large diameter holes allowing said ring to be positioned at various angles to said vault while disposed on said posts; means carried by said posts for rigidly securing said ring thereto in spaced relation therefrom, said means engaging said annular ring around said large bores and bein vertically adjustable to permit rigid positioning of said ring at various distances from and at various angles to said vault; and a cover removably mounted on said ring for closing said opening.

5. An undeground vault as recited in claim 4, wherein said support posts comprise threaded stud bolts, and wherein said securing means includes nuts.

6. An underground vault as recited in claim 5, including means embedded in the vault for anchoring one end of said stud bolts in said vault.

7. An underground vault as recited in claim 4, including grout material disposed within and filling the space between said ring and said vault.

S. An underground vault as recited in claim 7, including sealing means between said ring and said cover.

9. An underground vault having an access opening therein; a plurality of internally threaded anchors in said vault circumferentially spaced about said opening; a stud bolt threadably received in each anchor and projecting from said vault; a cover-support ring having a plurality of bores therethrough in register with and larger in diameter than said stud bolts and being mounted on said bolts in spaced relationship with said vault; at least two nuts on each of said studs, one on either side of said support ring for rigidly securing said ring thereto, said nuts, said bolts, and said enlarged bores being cooperable to permit positioning of said ring at various distances from and at various angles to said vault; and a cover removably mounted on said ring for closing said opening.

10. An underground vault as recited,in claim 9, wherein said support ring has an annular peripheral rim extending upwardly therefrom, and wherein said cover is received within the space defined by said rim and is secured to said ring by removable fasteners.

11. An underground vault as recited in claim 9, wherein a sealing ring is disposed between confronting surfaces of said support ring and said cover, said support ring and said cover 'having grooves therein receiving said sealing ring.

12. An underground vault as recited in claim 9, including grout material filling the space between said support ring and said vault.

13. An underground vault as defined in claim 9, wherein the cover-support ring is L-shaped in radial crosssection and provides a vertical peripheral flange and a horizontal flange extending inwardly from the lower portion of said vertical flange, and wherein the bores are formed in said horizontal flange, and wherein the cover is disposed within the vertical flange and rests upon said horizontal flange.

(References 011 foliowing page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Fithian 248-23 Anderson 24823 Vinton 9434 Baker 210166 Hale 94-34 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner. JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner. N. C. BYERS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN UNDERGROUND VAULT HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING THEREIN; A COVER-SUPPORT RING ALIGNED WITH SAID OPENING; AND MEANS ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO SAID VAULT AT CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED POINTS AROUND SAID OPENING RIGIDLY SUPPORTING SAID RING IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING: A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED SUPPORT POSTS FIXEDLY ANCHORED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS TO SAID VAULT AGAINST MOVEMENT IN ANY DIRECTION; AND VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE ENGAGEABLE MEANS CARRIED ON EACH OF SAID SUPPORT POSTS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID RING FOR RIGIDLY SECURING SAID RING TO SAID POSTS, SAID RING AND SAID SUPPORTING MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO ENABLE POSITIONING OF SAID RING AT VARIOUS DISTANCES FROM AND AT VARIOUS ANGLES TO SAID VAULT. 